This invention relates to devices used in conjunction with an irrigation system, in particular a device for closing wheel ruts created by the system.
Irrigation lines used in irrigation systems for watering large fields and the like are generally quite massive structures. Because of the large size of the irrigation line, a number of supporting struts which are usually mounted on wheels are often required to support the irrigation line. The wheels on which the struts are mounted are also generally quite large and, depending on the weight of the irrigation line being supported, can create rather significant trenches or ruts in the field, especially when the ground is fairly soft. One such system employs ten large wheels which leave ruts which are sometimes 12-14 inches in depth. These deep trenches or ruts create a significant hazard for harvest equipment and vehicles picking up the feed. Some of the ruts created by these wheels have been of sufficient depth to upset vehicles such as a truck.
To leave these ruts untreated creates a significant problem for normal farming operations. Manual filling of the ruts is undesirable because it involves a tremendous amount of boring, time consuming hand labor. Use of a separate apparatus drawn by a tractor or other motor is also disadvantageous where a plurality of wheel ruts are created, the usual case when a large irrigation system is used.